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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... Rogue Valley gubernatorial candidate blasts Gov. Brown on climate change ... Historical Society executive director stepping down ... One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... Rogue Valley gubernatorial candidate blasts Gov. Brown on climate change ... Historical Society executive director stepping down ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Aug. 7 Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Don't miss vigil Aug. 6 was the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on a civilian population over the city of Hiroshima, Japan, followed three days later on Aug. 9 by a second thermonuclear bomb (Fat Man) detonated over Nagasaki, a city of a quarter million inhabitants including about 200 American and other Allied POWs confined in the Fukoka 14 military detention camp near the heart of the city. A young Dutch POW wrote a seven-page account of the horrific Nagaski blast and its aftermath, now preserved in the U.S. National Archives. A facsimile copy of this eyewitness account, and many dozens of other records, photos, books, and events documenting the tragedy can be viewed at the Hiroshima/Nagasaki annual vigil on the Ashland Plaza through 7 tonight. This annual vigil, which has garnered the attention of citizens and officials from around the world, seeks to educate on the dangers of nuclear power and the horrors of nuclear war, and should not be missed. Ivend Holen Medford Ignore propaganda Daniel Bunn, president of the Medford City Council, has urged all citizens to participate in discussions of commercial marijuana. Unfortunately opinions many of us have about marijuana have been shaped by 80 years of propaganda and outright lies on the part of the prohibitionist lobby. We should especially welcome opinions based on facts. And here are some: Marijuana, also called cannabis, has been produced, used and unregulated by the state for 5,000 years, including Washington, Jefferson and probably Jesus. Our body produces and requires endocannabinoids for most of its functions; cannabis is not a foreign substance. Decriminalization in Portugal and legalization in Washington has not resulted in increased crime or increased juvenile use. Medical marijuana's usefulness is not limited to glaucoma and relieving the nausea of chemotherapy, but can treat or cure a large, and expanding, range of ailments including cancer. Tax policy, especially "sin tax," is a way we discourage bad behaviors, and tax breaks are used to encourage good behaviors. Consequently, I can see no rational basis for taxing medical marijuana, which is usually cheaper and more effective than Big Pharmaceutical's drugs, and should, indeed, be subsidized. Recreational marijuana is much less harmful than fructose-laden soft drinks! No taxation without justification! Louis Goldman Ashland 15 minutes of shame The three women in the July 28 paper who want to "Grab life by the horns" — apparently that means shooting a few animals. What fun! When I read that they had killed some sandhill cranes it made me sick. I have a picture of a male sandhill crane doing his mating dance. It is beautiful! At one time those cranes were on the brink of extinction. Now they have to face loss of their nesting and feeding areas because of drought. The article notes that Ms. Cook "connected" with a large bull elk. There's another "15 minutes of shame!" She didn't need it to eat, so why kill it? Disgusting! V. Paine Medford Thanks for helping On July 24, a field caught fire behind our home on North Berkeley Way in Medford. On that day we were at a family reunion in Southern California. The fire burned within inches of our back fence. Without good Samaritans and caring neighbors we may have lost our home. It is comforting to know that good people still exist. From talking to our neighbors we have gathered that several people stopped and helped save our house and our pets. To those kind neighbors and strangers, thank you. Lindsay Eagar Medford MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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